North America covers almost 5 percent of the planet's surface, making it the third-largest continent. A large temperate area, varied topography, and climate differences has resulted in many distinct habitats which support rich flora.

After years of running trials with plants originating from the Eastern, Southeastern, Western, and Midwestern regions of North America, these plants not only performed well in Northern Illinois' climate and soil conditions, but have proved to have exceptional value for education, aesthetics, and conservation.

These North American Collections have been developed to reflect the species richness of these regions and carefully selected to ensure their adaptability to our region.

Arboretum staff members don't just travel to far away countries looking for unique plants. There are many exciting plants right at our fingertips! Important trips were made recently within the United States to add to two of our North America collections, Appalachia and the Ozarks.

Conserving North American plants is an important part of our mission at the Arboretum. It is our goal to continue collecting species from the botanically rich areas of the U.S. that will perform well here in the Midwest.